Install

Get the latest updates as we post them — right on your browser

Today's paper. Last Updated: 05/28/2012

WikiLeaks Founder Gets Show on RT

The Associated Press

Assange, pictured in London last month, will film the series from Britain.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

Assange, pictured in London last month, will film the series from Britain.

Controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has a new talk show that will be broadcast on the Kremlin-funded English-language channel RT, formerly known as Russia Today, the television station said Wednesday.


WikiLeaks had said in a statement Monday that Assange's show would begin airing in March, but there was no word on who would air it or how it would be produced.


RT television stepped forward Wednesday to say it will be broadcasting the show, a series of 10 interviews with what it described as "key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries — figures who in the author's opinion will be shaping the political agenda of tomorrow."

Earlier in the week, the cyber-transparency activist said he would create a new brand of talk show built around the theme of "the world tomorrow," promising to give viewers a steady dose of controversy. 


WikiLeaks said in a statement on its site that "iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders" would be brought in so that Assange could challenge them on their vision of world affairs and "their ideas on how to secure a brighter future."


The names of the guests are still to be disclosed.


The RT statement said Assange is filming the series from the location of his house arrest in Britain. He is currently fighting extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted on sex crimes allegations. United States officials are weighing possible charges linked to the leaks, the biggest disclosures of secret documents in U.S. history.

WikiLeaks argues that Assange is uniquely qualified for the role given his past as "a pioneer for a more just world and a victim of political repression."

Television image experts weren't so sure that Assange is ready for prime time.

"Assange has got a good, deep voice and an agreeable Aussie accent, but he's a slow, deliberate talker and not especially televisual," said Ellis Cashmore, an expert on celebrity culture at England's Staffordshire University. "To be true to his image, he would have to make his proposed show subversive; and that might not appeal to many would-be guests."


RT claims a global reach of more than 430 million people, or 22 percent of all cable subscribers worldwide.


"We're proud to host Julian Assange's new project," editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan said in the statement. "RT has rallied a global audience of open-minded people who don't take things around them for granted."





This article has no comments.

Be the first to leave a comment


Discussion
The Moscow Times welcomes your comments and invites you to discuss topics with other readers. Your comment will be posted automatically to enable a live discussion. If you aren't familiar with our comments policy, you can read it here.

If you're a registered user, you can start typing your comment below. If not, take a moment to sign up. and then return to the article.

If your comment doesn't appear, contact us by using our web form.

Comments

Comments via Facebook



Also in News

Medvedev Appointed Chairman of United Russia

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called for United Russia to be “rebuilt from scratch” at a convention that elected him party leader over the weekend.

150 Detained at Anti-Kremlin Rallies

About 150 people were detained Sunday as scores of people gathered for a series of anti-government demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

210 Foreign Universities' Diplomas Recognized

Diplomas from 210 foreign universities will now be acknowledged in Russia without an additional state evaluation, according to a government order published Friday by Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

Cigarettes and Alcohol Occupy Pushkin Square

The movement that gave us rallying cries like "for fair elections" and "Putin thief!" may have found a new slogan to add to their repertoire: "cigarettes and alcohol."

Khodorkovsky Lawyers Deny Report That Tycoon Asked for Olympic Visa Ban

Lawyers for imprisoned tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky denied a report circulating Sunday in the British media that their client sent a letter to the British prime minister urging a visa ban on 308 Russian officials at the London Summer Olympics.

Putin to Take First Foreign Trip to Belarus May 31

President Vladimir Putin will travel to Belarus on May 31 for his first foreign visit since taking office earlier this month, followed by a trip to Germany and France.



print


Comments

This article has no comments.

Be the first to leave a comment



Tags
media


Most Read
MarketGid